World Anti-Doping Agency wants Lance Armstrong’s allies’ bans extended

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/16/lance-armstrong-allies-wada-longer-bans

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The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the punishments imposed on three allies of Lance Armstrong in cases which will now be heard by the court of arbitration for sport.

Wada announced its appeal after the American Arbitration Association in April banned Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong’s long-time team director, for 10 years and gave eight-year bans to doctor Pedro Celaya and trainer Jose ‘Pepe’ Marti.

The trio were all part of the United States Postal Service team doping scandal uncovered by the United States Anti-doping Agency and described as “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen”.

A Wada statement read: “Following its review of the full case file, Wada has appealed the American Arbitration Association North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA)’s decision to issue 10-, eight- and eight-year bans respectively to Johan Bruyneel, Dr Pedro Celaya and Jose ’Pepe’ Marti for their involvement in the US Postal Services Pro Cycling Team doping conspiracy.

“In appealing the AAA’s decision to CAS, WADA requests that consideration be given to longer sanctions for all three individuals involved in order to best protect athletes, and ensure a clean sport of cycling. The UCI, cycling’s world governing body, and USADA are supportive of the appeal to seek longer sanctions, and will provide support to WADA during this process. As with all cases, and adhering to the importance of respecting the integrity of the legal process, WADA, the UCI and USADA do not plan on any further public statement on the appeal case until the appeal is considered and a decision rendered by CAS.”

Armstrong was given a life ban by USADA and stripped of all results dating from August 1998 - including seven Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005 - after opting not to cooperate in USADA’s investigation.

Bruyneel, who worked with Armstrong at US Postal, Discovery Channel, Astana and Team RadioShack, Celaya and Marti took their cases to a three-person arbitration panel in London last December before being banned.